Together, they're part of the highest June spike in the mid-Hudson's unemployment rates in more than 20 years.

"It's brutal out there," said 31-year-old Allison Ennis of Esopus, a spunky, self-described "C.P. almost" who is in the middle of taking tests to become a certified public accountant.

She was laid off after nine months in June from her job as a staff accountant for a small firm in New Paltz. Now, she's preparing to pound the pavement again.

"For every job opening, the number of applicants is almost overwhelming," she said. "My philosophy is if you don't ask, the answer is always no."

John Diefendorf of Marlboro was laid off after six months in June from his job as a school janitor. The 63-year-old, who's spent much of his life self-employed in the construction industry, finds himself in unfamiliar territory.

"I haven't applied for unemployment since 1971," he said. "I need to work on my interviewing skills. I've found that I talk too much."

According to the region's Department of Labor analyst, Johny Nelson, there's a story behind the soaring June numbers. The unemployment rate in June was 8.8 percent for Orange County, 9.8 percent for Sullivan and 9.1 for Ulster. The increase for each county was about 1 percent from June 2011.

"Our labor force is also increasing because there's a buzz in our region that the private sector job market is still improving," Nelson said. "So people who've gotten discouraged are dusting off their resumes, and they've begun looking for work."

According to Nelson, the mid-Hudson workforce increased by 14,900 from June 2011 to June 2012. "We're seeing a steady flow of private sector jobs, and people have become optimistic. And they're saying, 'Gosh, there's got to be a job for me,' " said Nelson.

Maureen Halahan, who is president of the Orange County Partnership, has been working on bringing more jobs to the region. "It's not as bleak as the percentages show," she said of the unemployment numbers. "At least we have some companies interested in engaging in a dialogue again."

Unemployed private chef Darlene Foucher of Boiceville is among those who's been actively seeking a job for the past several months. The baby boomer who grew up in the Woodstock area hardly looks her age, but for her it's become a real concern, especially since so many applications are now taken online.

"Since everything is done by computer, people don't know who you are or what you look like, so you can just get weeded out," she said. Foucher has more than 20 years of professional experience. She is looking to work for a family.

For 37-year-old sheet metal worker Dan Pelton of Hopewell Junction, it's been difficult to go for almost a year without work, even though he's collecting unemployment. To cut costs, he lives rent-free with his mother.

An avid biker, he's now contemplating switching careers.

"I want to go to school to learn become a motorcycle mechanic," he said.